The forthcoming "Transformers 4" movie will give viewers a sneak peak at the latest Western Star truck in development.

This next-generation custom-build Western Star is starring as Optimus Prime in the upcoming Transformers movie.

This next-generation custom-build Western Star is starring as Optimus Prime in the upcoming Transformers movie.

The live action incarnation of  Optimus Prime  in the 2007 film  Transformers,  rendered by Industrial Light & Magic, according to Wikipedia.

The live action incarnation of Optimus Prime in the 2007 film Transformers, rendered by Industrial Light & Magic, according to Wikipedia.

The semi-trailer truck leader of the Autobots in the "Transformers" films is called Optimus Prime, a Western Star custom-built for the movie. According to published reports, director Michael Bay is shooting part of "Transformers 4" along the Utah-Arizona border. He recently releases a photo of the new Optimus Prime truck and other Autobots characters from the new movie on his website.

A spokesman told me that Western Star (a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America) is excited to collaborate with Paramount on the movie. "The movie will feature a new truck in development from Western Star that showcases the next level of innovation in the trucking industry."

The original Optimus Prime toy was a cabover model.

The original Optimus Prime toy was a cabover model.

In the most recent Transformers movie, “Dark of the Moon,” Optimus Prime was a Peterbilt Model 379. And the original Generation 1 toy version of Optimus Prime was a cabover.

But you won't get to see either the movie or the new Western Star truck until next year. The movie is due in theaters June 27, 2014, and DTNA says the new Western Star truck will be unveiled sometime in 2014.

Paramount Pictures Optimus Prime (center) and other members of the Autobots in Utah's Monument Valley, in a photo released by Paramount Pictures. "Transformers 4," being filmed in part in southern Utah, is due in theaters June 27, 2014.

Paramount Pictures Optimus Prime (center) and other members of the Autobots in Utah's Monument Valley, in a photo released by Paramount Pictures. "Transformers 4," being filmed in part in southern Utah, is due in theaters June 27, 2014.

About the author
Deborah Lockridge

Deborah Lockridge

Editor and Associate Publisher

Reporting on trucking since 1990, Deborah is known for her award-winning magazine editorials and in-depth features on diverse issues, from the driver shortage to maintenance to rapidly changing technology.

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